Cosplay Contest

Parkersburg Pop Con Cosplay FAQ

Q: Is there a Cosplay Contest?

A- Yes! We have both an adult and kid's costume contest! Attendee’s of all ages can sign up for the Parkersburg Pop-Con Cosplay Contest on Saturday of the convention at the Info Booth inside the Vendor's Hall. There will be adult categories as well as youth categories. Make sure to pre-register prior to the convention or register at the convention by 1PM! Be sure to check the Programming Schedule for more details!

Q: What categories will be available for the cosplay contest?

A - Parkersburg Pop-Con strives to be as inclusive as possible in it’s operation. We will have a total of seven categories for the cosplay contest for you to enter into.

These categories will be:

Best Hero Male:This will include all characters that are of male gender in their respective source material.

Best Hero Female:This will include all characters that are of female gender in their respective source material.

Best Villain Male:Any character that is male and of a bad or evil nature in their respective source material.

Best Villain Female:Any character that is female and of a bad or evil nature in their respective source material.

Best Youth Hero:Any character, whether male or female, that is a hero in their respective source material.

Best Youth Villain:Any character, whether male or female, that is a villian in their respective source material.

Best Prop:Encompasses all accessories not directly attached to costume of cosplay. Item will be judged on quality of build, materials used, and uniqueness of prop.

Most Creative:This will include all custom creations regardless of gender or alignment. This can be original characters. Special interpretations of known characters. Group cosplays. Any character that you feel doesn’t fall into previous categories or a character you just want to show off.

Q: Who will be judging the Parkersburg Pop-Con Cosplay Contest?

A - Parkersburg Pop-Con strives to be current and inclusive in its community interaction and will do it’s best to make sure that the judges meet the same criteria. For the 2018, Parkersburg Pop-Con Cosplay Contest will have several individuals from the community including guest judge James Hamilton and Anthony of Wilson’s House of Cosplay.

Q: When time does the cosplay contest start?

A - The Parkersburg Pop-Con Cosplay Contest will begin at 2 o’clock on Saturday. We are asking that all entries be registered no later than 1 o’clock. All entries will be invited to come onto the stage and show off their creation. Youth entries will be allowed to have an adult accompany them but only the youth costume will be eligible for judging in that category. If you have a group cosplay please enter if into the Most Creative category. After all entries have been viewed there will be a brief intermission to allow the judges to collaborate and then awards will be announced at 3 o’clock.

Q: Do I need to pre-register to be eligible for the cosplay contest?

A - Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. This will give the judges time to really look at the details of your costume and to familiarize themselves with the character if it is needed. Be as thorough as possible on your registration. Point out any special details that you want to make sure the judges don’t miss and make sure to honestly state which parts of the costume you made and which parts were purchased.

Q: Are there costume rules or guidelines?

A - Simply put, your costume and its accessories MUST comply with the local laws and campus rules where the convention is being held. We insist that your costume not have any parts or accessories that can readily cause harm to you, or any of your fellow con goers. No real weaponry (live firearms, sharp blades, etc.) may be carried. We request that all prop firearms have Blaze Orange Tips so that they are easily identifiable. No parts of your costume can fire, spray, shoot, or ignite. YOUR COSTUME MUST BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. Use common sense. If you have any worry that a part of your costume might cause a problem or get you thrown out of the convention, arrested, or injured, please leave it home.

Q: Weapons Policy:

In order to assure that everyone who visits Parkersburg Pop-Con has a safe and enjoyable time, we have decided to institute a weapons policy, effective immediately.

• All weapons must be inspected prior to entry. • Actual firearms of any sort are prohibited on the campus. • Simulated weapons for cosplay purposes will be allowed, but must be non-firing. • If you are found with an unauthorized weapon inside the show, you will be escorted to security and then removed from the premises. • If you have a weapon that does not pass inspection, you will not be allowed entry into the show. You may return the weapon to your vehicle and then you will be allowed entry into the show. If you are not sure about a weapon, or have a weapon that does not meet these policies, please leave it at home in order to assure entrance.

Thank you in advance for complying with this policy, and we look forward to seeing you at Parkersburg Pop-Con!

If you do not want to have your costume props inspected, or if you are not willing to comply with these policies, please do not bring your costume props to Parkersburg Pop-Con. All costume props and weapons must be inspected when asked to do so.

Q: Is photography permitted inside of the convention?

A - Yes! Photography and personal video’s are permitted and encouraged. Parkersburg Pop-Con also has several SnapChat filters available for your use. All that we ask is that you please be considerate when taking photographs by being brief and not blocking traffic. If you intend to use a photograph or film for anything other than private viewing (e.g. online photo album, blog, online video archives, etc.), please ask the subject(s) for explicit permission to post their image, or video. Please note that photographs and footage of the convention and attendees will be gathered by our Staff to be used for various projects such as advertisements or future programming guides, and that purchasing admission for Parkersburg Pop-Con constitutes consent to be filmed or photographed.

Cosplay is not Consent!Please keep your hands to yourself. If you would like to take a photo, or video, of another Pop-Con attendee, please always ask first and respect that person’s right to say NO. Anyone found to be harassing other con-goers will be asked to leave the premises. When at Parkersburg Pop-Con, be respectful, be nice, be cool and be kind to each other.